Backstage in her dressing room at the New
Amsterdam Theatre, where she is a reigning Ziegfeld star, Fanny Brice
sits thoughtfully at her dressing table. Tonight Fanny's mind is on
something more important than the show. Her husband, Nick Arnstein, will
be coming home after serving a prison sentence. Now she must make a
decision about their future. As she ponders her problem, the sights and
sounds of her past come back to her. First, she remembers herself as a
stagestruck teenager; awkward, unattractive but fiercely determined to
get ahead in the theatre. Using her best efforts Fanny's sharp-tongued
but sympathetic mother tries to make her come to her senses, but Fanny
continues to audition and get turned down. Finally Fanny overwhelms a
vaudeville hoofer with her iron will to succeed and her unshakable
self-confidence. He agrees to coach her in singing and dancing, and they
spend time practicing routines. At last she is given a chance; of
course she wows the audience.Fanny is quickly smitten by Nick Arnstein, an
elegant man, who has come to the theatre to pay off a gambling debt. She
has little time for mooning over him because producer Florenz Ziegfeld
has sent her a telegram offering her a spot in his current Follies.
Fanny is a hit in her first Ziegfeld appearance, and Nick is
coincidently on hand to offer congratulations. He goes with Fanny to her
mother's opening night block party on Henry Street. Some months later
they meet again. This time they're in Baltimore and they enjoy a private
dinner at an exclusive restaurant. That does it. Fanny cannot leave
Nick ever again. At the railroad station where the Follies company is to
board a train for Chicago and Nick one for New York, Fanny decides to
leave the company and follow her love. She feels this is her one chance
for happiness and is determined not to let anything stand in her way.Fanny and Nick are married and move into a
mansion on Long Island. During rehearsals of a new Follies, Nick
approaches Ziegfeld backstage about investing money in a gambling casino
he plans to build in Florida. Ziegfeld declines, but Fanny insists on
putting up the necessary capital. Fanny's opening night of the new show
is ruined by Nick's failure to appear. After the performance he comes to
her dressing room and tells her that his casino venture has failed and
she has lost her money.She tries to treat the bad news lightly and not
make Nick feel even worse, but Nick feels Fanny is making light of his
ventures and complains that she treats him like a child. For the first
time Fanny begins to have doubts about their relationship. Now she
anonymously tries to put up money for him in another venture. But when
he finds out about this, he becomes incensed; he is not comfortable
being so dependent on his wife. Out of desperation he gets involved in a
shady bond deal. Nick is soon arrested for embezzlement. Mrs. Brice
makes her daughter take responsibility for her part in what has
happened.The final scene in Fanny's dressing room is a
continuation of the first scene in the play. Nick, just out of prison,
enters. While they still love each other deeply, it is obvious that
their marriage can only bring unhappiness to both of them. Reluctantly,
but inevitably, they part. Fanny courageously resolves to get on with
her life.